Castleport Research

Castleport Research / Public data

NAPLEX Pass Rates by Pharmacy School (2023–2025)

By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team Last verified: August 5, 2026 · Dataset version 1.0 Primary source data prepared by NABP March 16, 2026.

Castleport Research is an independent research and reference section published by Castleport Test Prep.

Independence disclosure: Castleport Test Prep is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to NABP, ACPE, Pearson VUE, any board of pharmacy, or any pharmacy school named here. Names and trademarks are used only to identify the sources, exams, and programs discussed.


What do the 2025 NAPLEX pass rates by pharmacy school show?

The first-time NAPLEX pass rate rose from 75.9% in 2024 to 86.8% in 2025. Among 140 schools with a current rate in both years, 127 improved. Yet 98 had less cushion against the benchmark under ACPE’s published formula because that benchmark rose from 46.8% to 62.7%.

The 2025 first-time NAPLEX pass rate rose from 75.9% to 86.8%. Among 140 schools with a rate in both years, 127 improved—but 98 ended with less cushion against the benchmark under ACPE’s published formula because the benchmark rose from 46.8% to 62.7%.

Almost every school’s reported rate went up. Most lost cushion against the benchmark.

That second finding needs one clean split. Of the 127 schools that improved, 42 improved by more than the benchmark rose. The other 85 improved but lost cushion. Twelve schools declined and one stayed flat, so 13 more also lost cushion. That makes 98 in all.

2025 NAPLEX at a glance

2025 NAPLEX at a glance
MeasureVerified resultWhat it means
Candidate-wide first-time pass rate86.8%9,869 first attempts, with each attempt weighted equally
Published mean school first-time rate85.7%142 school rates, with each school weighted equally
Schools that improved127 of 140Schools with a current rate in both 2024 and 2025
Schools with less benchmark cushion98 of 14085 improved by less than the benchmark rose; 13 did not improve
Current school-rate range55.3% to 100.0%141 schools with a nonblank 2025 rate
First attempts9,869Down 11.4% from 2024 and 19.8% from 2023

Source: NABP, “Passing Rates for 2023–2025 Graduates,” prepared March 16, 2026, NABP’s 2015–2025 trend report, and Castleport Research calculations from the published school rows. Last verified August 5, 2026.


What was the NAPLEX pass rate in 2025?

The national first-time pass rate was 86.8% across 9,869 first attempts by 2025 graduates of ACPE-accredited institutions who also tested in 2025. The all-attempt rate was 85.6% across 10,632 attempts.

The NAPLEX is the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. NABP administers it. Boards of pharmacy use it as one part of the licensure process to assess a candidate’s competence, and only boards of pharmacy issue licenses.

A first-time rate counts each person’s first attempt. An all-attempt rate counts all scored attempts in the group, including retakes. NABP groups people by both graduation year and testing year, so a 2025 graduate who tested outside 2025 is not in this report.

NABP publishes rounded school rates, not raw pass counts. Each nonblank school-year row had exactly one whole-number pass count compatible with its attempt count and printed one-decimal rate. Summing the 2025 school reconstructions and adding the archived Harding row gives 8,567 first-time passes and 1,302 first-time failures. The national 86.8% alone does not identify a unique pass count. These counts are Castleport calculations, not fields printed by NABP.

National NAPLEX figures, 2023–2025

National NAPLEX figures, 2023–2025
Graduation yearCandidate-wide first-time rateFirst attemptsAll-attempt rateAll attemptsMean school first-time ratePublished school count
202376.4%12,30571.2%16,27575.5%143
202475.9%11,13672.2%14,31674.3%142
202586.8%9,86985.6%10,63285.7%142

Source: NABP, “Passing Rates for 2023–2025 Graduates,” Table 1 and Table 2. Reconstructed pass and fail counts are Castleport calculations.

First-time NAPLEX pass rates, 2015–2025

First-time NAPLEX pass rates, 2015–2025
Graduation yearFirst-time NAPLEX pass rate
201592.0%
201686.0%
201787.0%
201888.2%
201987.0%
202086.2%
202181.7%
202277.3%
202376.4%
202475.9%
202586.8%

Source: NABP, “NAPLEX and MPJE Passing Rates for 2015–2025 Graduates,” prepared February 2, 2026.

National first-time NAPLEX pass rate from 2015 through 2025
National first-time NAPLEX pass rate from 2015 through 2025

Chart source: NABP’s published candidate-wide first-time rates. Visualization by Castleport Research, last verified August 5, 2026.

2025 was the highest first-time rate since 2019, but it was still 0.2 percentage point below 2019’s 87.0%. The 10.9-point rise from 2024 was the largest one-year move in NABP’s published 2015–2025 series.


Why does NABP publish both 86.8% and 85.7%?

Both numbers are correct. The 86.8% figure gives every first attempt equal weight. The 85.7% figure gives every school equal weight, so a school with 8 candidates counts the same as one with 203.

The two figures sit in separate tables in the same report:

  • 86.8% answers, “How did all first-time candidates do?”
  • 85.7% answers, “What was the mean of the school rates?”

Here is a small example. School A has 100 students and 90 pass. School B has 10 students and 5 pass.

  • Count the people: 95 of 110 passed, or 86.4%.
  • Count the two school rates equally: (90% + 50%) ÷ 2, or 70.0%.

Same results. Different denominator. The real 2025 gap is 1.1 points, but the reason is the same.

Use 86.8% when writing about candidates. Use 85.7% when writing about the mean school rate. Always name the measure.

Source: NABP’s March 16, 2026 school report, Tables 1 and 2.


What NAPLEX pass-rate benchmark applies to pharmacy schools?

ACPE Policy 11.6.1 says a program’s first-time NAPLEX pass rate must equal or exceed the national average minus two standard deviations or 60%, whichever is greater. Using NABP’s published 2025 school summary, that benchmark is 62.7%.

ACPE is the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Before applying for the NAPLEX, a candidate generally needs an entry-level degree from an ACPE-accredited school or FPGEC certification. The board of pharmacy still decides exam eligibility and whether to issue a license.

A standard deviation shows how spread out school rates are. NABP publishes the mean school rate, the standard deviation, and the figure two standard deviations below the mean.

The published benchmark changed sharply in 2025

The published benchmark changed sharply in 2025
Graduating classMean school rateStandard deviationTwo SD below the meanPolicy context
202375.5%11.153.3%The 60% floor was not yet effective.
202474.3%13.846.8%ACPE’s June 2025 Board actions used the two-SD threshold.
202585.7%11.562.7%The 60% floor was effective, and 62.7% was the greater figure.

Source: NABP’s school summary, Table 2 and ACPE Policy 11.6.1, effective July 1, 2025.

The two-SD figure rose 15.9 points, from 46.8% for 2024 graduates to 62.7% for 2025 graduates. For 2025, 62.7% was also higher than the new 60% floor, so it was the greater figure in the policy formula.

What happens after a low result

ACPE’s policy gives a five-step sequence within a seven-year period:

  1. First occurrence: a letter, a root-cause review, and an action plan.
  2. Second occurrence: a focused evaluation of compliance with accreditation standards.
  3. Third occurrence: the program may be asked to meet with the ACPE Board.
  4. Fourth occurrence: the program may be placed on probation.
  5. Fifth occurrence: accreditation may be withdrawn.

ACPE also reviews programs with a high number of first-time failures even when the rate is above the percentage benchmark. The written policy calls the trigger 30 or more first-time failures.

The official letter count and the public data do not reconcile

ACPE says it sent 15 high-failure letters after its June 2025 review. The public 2024 NABP rows produce 22 programs at 30 or more reconstructed failures, or 19 if the Board slide’s wording of “more than 30” is used. The public rounded report is therefore not enough to identify which programs received letters.

The official letter count and the public data do not reconcile
MeasureCountWhat the count is
ACPE letters for rates below the two-SD threshold3Official June 2025 Board count
ACPE letters for more than 30 first-time failures15Official June 2025 Board count
Public 2024 rows with 30 or more reconstructed failures and a rate above 46.8%22Castleport screen from rounded NABP data
Public 2024 rows with more than 30 reconstructed failures and a rate above 46.8%19Castleport screen using the wording on ACPE’s Board slide
ACPE letters for campus-rate discrepancies4Official June 2025 Board count

Source: ACPE’s official update on its January and June 2025 Board meetings, ACPE’s written policy notice, and Castleport reconstruction from NABP’s rounded 2024 school rows.

This mismatch matters. The public rows are from a March 2026 report, while ACPE’s official count came from June 2025. The 2024 rows may have changed between those dates, and NABP rounds the rates. The mismatch is not proof of an ACPE error. It shows that the current public PDF cannot reconstruct the Board’s action list. A public screen can show which programs match a rule as written. It cannot prove what ACPE reviewed, what internal data it used, or which programs received a letter.

Applying the written 30-or-more screen to the current 2025 rows produces five programs. This is a Castleport screen only. It is not a list of ACPE actions.

The official letter count and the public data do not reconcile
ProgramFirst attemptsFirst-time rateReconstructed first-time failures
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy19175.9%46
Nova Southeastern University Barry and Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy20380.8%39
Long Island University Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences15578.1%34
MCPHS University School of Pharmacy - Boston13978.4%30
Midwestern University College of Pharmacy15380.4%30

Source: Castleport reconstruction from NABP’s March 16, 2026 school rows. Percentages are rounded by NABP; reconstructed failures are not official NABP fields.

Why schools publish their own NAPLEX result

ACPE’s Spring 2026 update says each accredited program must post the latest first-time NAPLEX result from NABP on its website. That is why school outcome pages often repeat the same number.

Source: ACPE Update, Spring 2026.


Most schools improved, but most lost benchmark cushion

Of 140 schools with a current first-time rate in both 2024 and 2025, 127 improved, 12 declined, and 1 stayed flat. Only 42 gained cushion against the published benchmark. Eighty-five improved but lost cushion, and 13 did not improve, for 98 with less cushion in all.

Most schools improved, but most lost benchmark cushion
MeasureSchoolsShare of 140
Improved their first-time rate12790.7%
Improved by at least 10 percentage points6848.6%
Improved and gained benchmark cushion4230.0%
Improved but lost benchmark cushion8560.7%
Declined or stayed flat and also lost cushion139.3%
Total with less cushion than in 20249870.0%

Source: Castleport calculation from NABP’s current school rows. “Cushion” is the published school rate minus 46.8% in 2024 or 62.7% in 2025. It is an editorial comparison measure, not an ACPE action record.

A clean example is the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Its rate rose from 82.2% to 82.9%. Its published-rate margin moved from 35.4 points above the 2024 figure to 20.2 points above the 2025 figure. Its rate improved, but its cushion fell 15.2 points.

This does not mean the 98 schools are in trouble. Most are well above 62.7%. It means one thing only: a better-looking 2025 rate did not always create more room above the annual comparison benchmark.


Why did NAPLEX pass rates jump 10.9 points in one year?

No primary source has published a proven cause. NABP’s national data show that the NAPLEX first-time rate rose 10.9 points while the MPJE first-time rate fell 0.8 point. That contrast is real, but the two candidate groups are not matched, so it cannot prove why the NAPLEX moved.

The MPJE is a pharmacy law exam used by many jurisdictions. NABP publishes national NAPLEX and MPJE rates by graduation year in one report.

NAPLEX and MPJE first-time rates, 2015–2025

NAPLEX and MPJE first-time rates, 2015–2025
Graduation yearNAPLEXChangeMPJEChangeGap
201592.0%89.0%3.0
201686.0%−6.082.6%−6.43.4
201787.0%+1.082.1%−0.54.9
201888.2%+1.281.6%−0.56.6
201987.0%−1.281.1%−0.55.9
202086.2%−0.881.1%0.05.1
202181.7%−4.577.4%−3.74.3
202277.3%−4.474.2%−3.23.1
202376.4%−0.972.7%−1.53.7
202475.9%−0.575.3%+2.60.6
202586.8%+10.974.5%−0.812.3

Source: NABP’s 2015–2025 NAPLEX and MPJE report. Change and gap columns calculated by Castleport Research.

From 2015 through 2024, the NAPLEX–MPJE gap ranged from 0.6 to 6.6 points. In 2025 it was 12.3 points, or about 1.9 times the prior high in this series.

Measured another way, the two year-over-year changes differed by 11.7 points in 2025. From 2016 through 2024, the largest difference in either direction was 3.1 points.

What this shows: the NAPLEX rebound was not mirrored in the MPJE aggregate.

What this does not show: it does not prove the NAPLEX became easier, that candidates became stronger, or that any one change caused the rise. The groups are not matched, and not every NAPLEX candidate takes the MPJE.

NABP’s current bulletin says the ability level that defines the NAPLEX passing standard is the same across administrations. NABP also says a scaled score of 75 or higher represents passing, although candidates now receive Pass or Fail rather than a reported scaled score.

Source: NABP’s candidate results bulletin and NABP’s passing-score explanation.

What changed in the exam materials

NABP’s new NAPLEX Content Outline took effect for exams given on or after May 1, 2025. The outline came from an entry-level practice analysis and replaced the prior format used to describe tested content.

The school report does not publish exam dates. It includes 2025 graduates who tested in 2025, so it can contain exams from both before and after May 1. The split is unknown.

The timing overlaps with the rebound. It does not establish cause.

Source: NABP NAPLEX Content Outline, effective May 1, 2025 and NABP’s school-report inclusion rules.


Why do the current 2025 school rows not match NABP’s summary?

NABP’s current March 16 detail table has 141 nonblank 2025 school rows, 9,868 first attempts, and 10,630 all attempts. Its summary still reports 142 schools, 9,869 first attempts, and 10,632 all attempts. An archived January 22 version contains the one missing school row: Harding University with 1 first attempt and 2 all attempts, all at 0.0%.

We found this the boring way: we added every row and checked the sums against NABP’s totals.

  • 2023 matched: 12,305 first attempts and 16,275 all attempts.
  • 2024 matched: 11,136 first attempts and 14,316 all attempts.
  • 2025 did not: the current detail rows were short by 1 first attempt and 2 all attempts.

The archived January report supplied exactly that difference. The current report replaces Harding’s 2025 values with dashes and says Harding students graduate only in December and will be counted in the next report.

The safe conclusion is narrow: the current detail table and current summary appear to reflect different report versions.

Adding the archived Harding row reproduces the summary

Adding the archived Harding row reproduces the summary
MeasureCurrent March detail rowsArchived Harding rowReconciled totalPublished summary
Schools with 2025 values1411142142
First attempts9,86819,8699,869
All attempts10,630210,63210,632
Mean school first-time rate86.35%0.0% added85.74%85.7%
Sample SD of school first-time rates8.960.0% added11.5011.5
Mean minus two sample SD68.43%0.0% added62.75%62.7%

Source: Castleport recomputation from the current March 16 report and archived January 22 report. Standard deviations above are sample standard deviations.

Using only the 141 current rates gives a mean of 86.35%, a sample standard deviation of 8.96, and a two-SD figure of 68.43%. Adding Harding’s archived 0.0% rate gives 85.74%, 11.50, and 62.75%, which round to NABP’s published 85.7%, 11.5, and 62.7%.

The two-SD figure differs by about 5.7 percentage points depending on whether that one-candidate 0.0% row is included. The row raises the sample standard deviation from 8.96 to 11.50, an increase of about 28%.

Three schools sit between 62.7% and 68.4%

Three schools sit between 62.7% and 68.4%
Program2025 first-time rateFirst attempts
Manchester University College of Health Professions, Nursing and Pharmacy66.7%36
Pacific University School of Pharmacy66.7%39
Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy66.7%42

Source: Castleport comparison using NABP’s current school rates.

We do not know which figure ACPE used in practice or whether any letter was sent. ACPE does not publish program-level letter decisions in these sources. This table does not say the three programs did anything wrong.

The broader lesson is simple: a two-standard-deviation benchmark can be sensitive to an extreme rate from a very small cohort.

Report version log

Report version log
Report versionPrepared2025 school values shownFirst attempts in detail rowsAll attempts in detail rowsSummary says
ArchivedJanuary 22, 20261429,86910,632142 schools; 9,869 first attempts; mean 85.7%
CurrentMarch 16, 20261419,86810,630142 schools; 9,869 first attempts; mean 85.7%

Source: the archived January report, the current March report, and Castleport row totals.

File checksums recorded from the copies downloaded August 5, 2026:

  • March 16, 2026 version, SHA-256: 17b761665c80cb089d6fcd355d34a7b1738d588647c37c4769c6bb3434673163
  • January 22, 2026 version, SHA-256: b6f4804039f23232d5b9b0c769e47a4319d1830961c9b8fec5682ed3b3868362

A different checksum means the file bytes differ from the copy we checked. Recheck the prepared date, Harding row, totals, and summary before treating it as the same version.


NAPLEX pass rates by pharmacy school: all 141 current programs with data

This table contains every school with a nonblank 2025 first-time rate in NABP’s current report. Read the rate beside the attempt count. The last column is the school’s margin against the published 62.7% benchmark; it does not show whether ACPE sent a letter.

The current PDF contains 144 named school rows across the three years. California Health Sciences University, Hampton University, and Harding University have no current 2025 rate, leaving 141 rows below.

This is a rate reference, not a school-quality rating.

NAPLEX pass rates by pharmacy school: all 141 current programs with data
#Pharmacy school2023 rate2024 rate2025 first-time rate2025 first attempts2025 all-attempt rateChange 2024→2025Margin vs published 62.7% benchmark
1Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences School of Pharmacy68.1%74.8%84.3%12182.8%+9.5+21.6
2American University of Health Sciences School of Pharmacy40.9%50.0%87.5%887.5%+37.5+24.8
3Appalachian College of Pharmacy64.6%63.9%75.7%3773.2%+11.8+13.0
4Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy85.6%80.5%83.6%12879.5%+3.1+20.9
5Belmont University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences75.7%68.9%81.1%5381.4%+12.2+18.4
6Binghamton University State University of New York School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences70.1%84.9%90.2%6189.2%+5.3+27.5
7Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences89.7%90.7%92.9%7092.0%+2.2+30.2
8California Northstate University College of Pharmacy61.6%56.5%59.6%5761.9%+3.1−3.1
9Campbell University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences83.1%81.8%89.4%6688.7%+7.6+26.7
10Cedarville University School of Pharmacy74.4%59.5%84.8%3385.7%+25.3+22.1
11Chapman University School of Pharmacy83.6%80.0%93.7%6393.7%+13.7+31.0
12Chicago State University College of Health Sciences and Pharmacy School of Pharmacy60.0%42.9%87.5%887.5%+44.6+24.8
13Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy91.7%80.8%77.8%3677.3%−3.0+15.1
14Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions75.6%86.7%89.5%7690.2%+2.8+26.8
15Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences80.6%80.9%85.2%6184.3%+4.3+22.5
16Duquesne University School of Pharmacy85.0%82.9%91.7%10892.2%+8.8+29.0
17D’Youville University School of Pharmacy69.6%66.7%70.0%6068.1%+3.3+7.3
18East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy95.4%76.9%97.7%4497.8%+20.8+35.0
19Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences59.1%74.3%85.4%4884.0%+11.1+22.7
20Ferris State University College of Pharmacy72.9%73.6%94.4%9094.7%+20.8+31.7
21Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health67.4%69.3%89.8%4990.2%+20.5+27.1
22High Point University Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy73.2%67.3%73.5%4972.1%+6.2+10.8
23Howard University College of Pharmacy51.1%61.5%84.4%3286.1%+22.9+21.7
24Husson University College of Health and Pharmacy School of Pharmacy72.7%78.9%100.0%10100.0%+21.1+37.3
25Idaho State University L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy76.3%78.7%97.9%4797.9%+19.2+35.2
26Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences71.4%63.8%86.1%3684.6%+22.3+23.4
27Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy62.5%62.4%75.9%19175.8%+13.5+13.2
28Larkin University College of Pharmacy50.0%35.7%77.8%1871.4%+42.1+15.1
29Lebanese American University School of Pharmacy84.6%100.0%100.0%8100.0%0.0+37.3
30Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy72.7%57.1%94.1%3494.4%+37.0+31.4
31Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy77.8%68.4%88.1%4284.4%+19.7+25.4
32Long Island University Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences65.3%61.7%78.1%15575.6%+16.4+15.4
33MCPHS University School of Pharmacy - Boston62.2%65.8%78.4%13979.0%+12.6+15.7
34MCPHS University School of Pharmacy - Worcester57.3%77.3%79.1%9177.2%+1.8+16.4
35Manchester University College of Health Professions, Nursing and Pharmacy69.1%63.3%66.7%3661.9%+3.4+4.0
36Marshall B. Ketchum University College of Pharmacy63.0%61.7%84.0%2584.6%+22.3+21.3
37Marshall University School of Pharmacy56.9%68.9%92.0%2592.3%+23.1+29.3
38Medical College of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy64.9%72.2%86.8%3887.2%+14.6+24.1
39Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy65.6%85.5%86.9%6186.6%+1.4+24.2
40Mercer University College of Pharmacy76.0%68.4%78.7%9476.1%+10.3+16.0
41Midwestern University College of Pharmacy71.4%65.7%80.4%15378.3%+14.7+17.7
42North Dakota State University College of Health and Human Sciences School of Pharmacy86.3%84.2%93.8%4892.2%+9.6+31.1
43Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy73.5%79.8%91.1%4589.6%+11.3+28.4
44Northeastern University Bouvé College of Health Sciences School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences87.0%90.1%93.8%6493.9%+3.7+31.1
45Notre Dame of Maryland University School of Pharmacy63.0%39.4%55.9%3459.1%+16.5−6.8
46Nova Southeastern University Barry and Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy69.9%69.6%80.8%20380.0%+11.2+18.1
47Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy88.1%87.8%96.0%9996.1%+8.2+33.3
48Ohio State University College of Pharmacy92.5%89.5%93.6%10991.5%+4.1+30.9
49Oregon State University College of Pharmacy80.8%96.5%79.3%5877.9%−17.2+16.6
50Pacific University School of Pharmacy56.4%67.6%66.7%3968.9%−0.9+4.0
51Palm Beach Atlantic University Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy83.3%75.0%88.2%3486.8%+13.2+25.5
52Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Georgia School of Pharmacy48.6%50.7%55.3%3853.3%+4.6−7.4
53Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy85.4%82.6%93.1%2993.3%+10.5+30.4
54Purdue University College of Pharmacy86.4%79.4%86.6%13485.2%+7.2+23.9
55Regis University Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions School of Pharmacy73.9%77.4%81.8%4475.0%+4.4+19.1
56Roosevelt University College of Science, Health and Pharmacy66.7%57.1%87.9%3388.6%+30.8+25.2
57Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science College of Pharmacy54.1%65.3%82.1%2876.7%+16.8+19.4
58Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy79.0%70.4%77.6%10776.9%+7.2+14.9
59Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy89.1%84.1%94.8%13494.9%+10.7+32.1
60Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia College of Pharmacy60.8%65.8%83.2%12581.8%+17.4+20.5
61Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy82.2%70.0%77.9%6872.2%+7.9+15.2
62Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy61.9%58.6%66.7%4268.1%+8.1+4.0
63South College School of Pharmacy71.6%86.0%81.4%4380.4%−4.6+18.7
64South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions92.3%98.3%94.1%5194.4%−4.2+31.4
65South University School of Pharmacy63.6%59.3%81.0%5878.5%+21.7+18.3
66Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy80.3%75.4%88.9%6386.4%+13.5+26.2
67Southwestern Oklahoma State University College of Pharmacy87.3%88.9%93.3%4593.6%+4.4+30.6
68St John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences71.0%69.8%90.2%16389.3%+20.4+27.5
69St. John Fisher University Wegmans School of Pharmacy78.3%76.7%85.2%8183.9%+8.5+22.5
70Sullivan University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences68.4%56.1%84.6%2685.2%+28.5+21.9
71Temple University School of Pharmacy66.2%63.7%79.8%10479.3%+16.1+17.1
72Texas A&M University Health Science Center Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy69.8%65.0%85.5%11083.1%+20.5+22.8
73Texas Southern University Joan M. Lafleur College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences73.6%53.4%58.3%3661.4%+4.9−4.4
74Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy80.4%86.4%93.1%8790.3%+6.7+30.4
75Thomas Jefferson University Jefferson College of Pharmacy82.7%89.2%79.2%2481.5%−10.0+16.5
76Touro University - California College of Pharmacy60.9%80.3%75.0%4474.5%−5.3+12.3
77Touro University Touro College of Pharmacy77.3%70.7%93.2%4493.3%+22.5+30.5
78Union University College of Pharmacy86.1%92.3%95.8%2496.0%+3.5+33.1
79University at Buffalo The State University of New York School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences87.0%86.1%96.3%8296.4%+10.2+33.6
80University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy65.5%78.5%86.7%11386.3%+8.2+24.0
81University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy83.8%82.2%82.9%8279.6%+0.7+20.2
82University of California, Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences88.6%3586.1%+25.9
83University of California, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences89.3%92.5%96.7%6196.8%+4.2+34.0
84University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy82.6%89.2%93.6%9493.9%+4.4+30.9
85University of Charleston School of Pharmacy64.1%58.3%69.2%2666.7%+10.9+6.5
86University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy90.2%76.2%96.5%5795.0%+20.3+33.8
87University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences82.7%69.9%77.2%7977.3%+7.3+14.5
88University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy76.7%80.8%94.3%7094.4%+13.5+31.6
89University of Findlay College of Pharmacy80.0%83.3%94.7%3895.0%+11.4+32.0
90University of Florida College of Pharmacy87.3%88.2%94.8%19194.4%+6.6+32.1
91University of Georgia College of Pharmacy85.8%87.3%91.0%13489.6%+3.7+28.3
92University of Hawaii at Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy62.2%47.2%90.9%3391.2%+43.7+28.2
93University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis St. Louis College of Pharmacy84.6%78.6%72.0%7569.7%−6.6+9.3
94University of Houston College of Pharmacy81.0%87.3%89.9%9989.6%+2.6+27.2
95University of Illinois Chicago Herbert M. and Carol H. Retzky College of Pharmacy76.9%84.7%90.6%13989.7%+5.9+27.9
96University of Iowa College of Pharmacy75.2%78.6%84.8%7982.2%+6.2+22.1
97University of Kansas School of Pharmacy91.5%83.2%91.6%9591.9%+8.4+28.9
98University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy74.8%71.9%92.7%12493.1%+20.8+30.0
99University of Louisiana at Monroe College of Pharmacy74.7%80.0%89.0%8288.4%+9.0+26.3
100University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Pharmacy and Health Professions68.6%57.7%69.6%2366.7%+11.9+6.9
101University of Maryland School of Pharmacy79.8%70.9%90.7%7591.1%+19.8+28.0
102University of Michigan College of Pharmacy90.5%91.0%100.0%68100.0%+9.0+37.3
103University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy78.0%77.0%84.1%11383.2%+7.1+21.4
104University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy75.3%66.3%89.7%8786.3%+23.4+27.0
105University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy84.6%79.1%89.7%8787.1%+10.6+27.0
106University of Montana College of Health Skaggs School of Pharmacy83.0%83.3%91.3%4689.4%+8.0+28.6
107University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy97.9%98.2%91.1%4591.7%−7.1+28.4
108University of New England Westbrook College of Health Professions School of Pharmacy75.7%75.9%86.7%3087.9%+10.8+24.0
109University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy65.7%77.4%81.6%4981.1%+4.2+18.9
110University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy91.6%92.0%95.4%13094.0%+3.4+32.7
111University of North Texas Health Science Center UNT System College of Pharmacy71.4%50.0%79.7%7479.8%+29.7+17.0
112University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Pharmacy85.5%90.0%97.5%4097.6%+7.5+34.8
113University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy90.9%84.3%92.6%9492.9%+8.3+29.9
114University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus School of Pharmacy93.2%93.2%100.0%40100.0%+6.8+37.3
115University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy80.3%82.8%91.8%9891.3%+9.0+29.1
116University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy and Physician Assistant Studies61.0%60.6%82.1%2872.7%+21.5+19.4
117University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy76.4%88.4%98.8%8696.6%+10.4+36.1
118University of South Florida Health Taneja College of Pharmacy80.8%79.5%88.2%7684.3%+8.7+25.5
119University of Southern California Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences83.0%87.1%86.5%15584.9%−0.6+23.8
120University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy78.5%78.3%92.7%12390.7%+14.4+30.0
121University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy87.3%79.8%89.6%9690.5%+9.8+26.9
122University of Texas at El Paso School of Pharmacy60.0%59.5%83.7%4982.7%+24.2+21.0
123University of Texas at Tyler Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy76.8%73.0%95.5%2291.3%+22.5+32.8
124University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences79.8%81.1%90.5%9590.9%+9.4+27.8
125University of Utah College of Pharmacy78.8%80.4%91.4%3592.1%+11.0+28.7
126University of Washington School of Pharmacy80.9%82.4%88.6%7986.7%+6.2+25.9
127University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy94.2%95.6%94.1%11894.2%−1.5+31.4
128University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy80.6%87.5%89.5%1990.0%+2.0+26.8
129University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy85.2%75.0%97.0%6697.0%+22.0+34.3
130University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy90.3%84.6%87.4%17586.7%+2.8+24.7
131Virginia Commonwealth University at the Medical College of Virginia Campus School of Pharmacy88.0%77.4%88.6%8888.5%+11.2+25.9
132Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences77.3%62.4%92.5%6792.9%+30.1+29.8
133Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences85.4%87.7%80.3%7176.8%−7.4+17.6
134West Coast University School of Pharmacy63.8%50.9%78.9%3879.5%+28.0+16.2
135West Virginia University School of Pharmacy75.0%75.9%93.2%4493.3%+17.3+30.5
136Western New England University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences73.9%61.3%84.8%3383.3%+23.5+22.1
137Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy76.5%84.0%92.6%9592.9%+8.6+29.9
138Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy71.9%85.9%91.7%6090.6%+5.8+29.0
139William Carey University School of Pharmacy64.1%67.4%77.3%4476.0%+9.9+14.6
140Wingate University School of Pharmacy69.1%70.7%91.2%5790.3%+20.5+28.5
141Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy49.3%63.3%88.0%8387.5%+24.7+25.3

Source: NABP, “Passing Rates for 2023–2025 Graduates,” prepared March 16, 2026. Change and margin columns calculated by Castleport Research from the printed rounded rates.


Which pharmacy schools had the highest 2025 NAPLEX pass rates?

Four schools reported a 100.0% first-time rate: the University of Michigan, the University of Puerto Rico, Husson University, and Lebanese American University. Their cohorts ranged from 8 to 68 first attempts. This ranks reported rates, not school quality.

Ties share a rank. The attempt count stays beside every rate.

Which pharmacy schools had the highest 2025 NAPLEX pass rates?
RankSchoolFirst attemptsFirst-time pass rate
1University of Michigan College of Pharmacy68100.0%
1University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus School of Pharmacy40100.0%
1Husson University College of Health and Pharmacy School of Pharmacy10100.0%
1Lebanese American University School of Pharmacy8100.0%
5University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy8698.8%
6Idaho State University L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy4797.9%
7East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy4497.7%
8University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Pharmacy4097.5%
9University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy6697.0%
10University of California, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences6196.7%
11University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy5796.5%
12University at Buffalo The State University of New York School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences8296.3%
13Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy9996.0%
14Union University College of Pharmacy2495.8%
15University of Texas at Tyler Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy2295.5%

Source: NABP’s March 16, 2026 school report. Rates and attempt counts as published.

The four 100% results cover 126 candidates in all. Every one of those candidates passed. A perfect rate from 8 attempts and a perfect rate from 68 attempts are still different-sized results.

Highest 2025 rates among schools with at least 50 first attempts

The 50-attempt cutoff reduces the effect of tiny cohorts. It is a Castleport comparison rule, not an NABP or ACPE standard. Eighty-one of the 141 schools meet it.

Highest 2025 rates among schools with at least 50 first attempts
RankSchoolFirst attemptsFirst-time pass rate
1University of Michigan College of Pharmacy68100.0%
2University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy8698.8%
3University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy6697.0%
4University of California, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences6196.7%
5University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy5796.5%
6University at Buffalo The State University of New York School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences8296.3%
7Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy9996.0%
8University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy13095.4%
9University of Florida College of Pharmacy19194.8%
9Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy13494.8%
11Ferris State University College of Pharmacy9094.4%
12University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy7094.3%
13University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy11894.1%
13South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions5194.1%
15Northeastern University Bouvé College of Health Sciences School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences6493.8%

Source: Castleport screen from NABP’s March 16, 2026 report; minimum of 50 first attempts applied by Castleport.


Which schools stayed above 90% for three years in a row?

Six schools had at least 30 first attempts and a first-time rate of at least 90.0% in 2023, 2024, and 2025. This is a consistency screen, not an official measure or a school-quality rating.

Which schools stayed above 90% for three years in a row?
School202320242025Three-year weighted rate
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy97.9% (n=48)98.2% (n=57)91.1% (n=45)96.0%
University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus School of Pharmacy93.2% (n=44)93.2% (n=44)100.0% (n=40)95.3%
South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions92.3% (n=65)98.3% (n=58)94.1% (n=51)94.8%
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy94.2% (n=121)95.6% (n=91)94.1% (n=118)94.5%
University of Michigan College of Pharmacy90.5% (n=74)91.0% (n=78)100.0% (n=68)93.6%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy91.6% (n=143)92.0% (n=112)95.4% (n=130)93.0%

Source: Castleport screen from NABP’s 2023–2025 school rows. The three-year weighted rate is reconstructed first-time passes divided by first attempts across all three years.

Two of the six—Wisconsin and UNC Chapel Hill—had more than 100 first attempts in at least one year.


Which schools moved the most between 2024 and 2025?

Among the 121 schools with at least 30 first attempts in both years, the largest gain was the University of Hawaii at Hilo, up 43.7 points. The largest decline was Oregon State University, down 17.2 points.

The 30-attempt cutoff is an editorial screen. It does not make the comparison causal, but it keeps very tiny cohorts from owning the top of the list.

Biggest gains under the 30-attempt screen

Biggest gains under the 30-attempt screen
School2024 attempts / rate2025 attempts / rateChange
University of Hawaii at Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy36 / 47.2%33 / 90.9%+43.7
Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy49 / 57.1%34 / 94.1%+37.0
Roosevelt University College of Science, Health and Pharmacy42 / 57.1%33 / 87.9%+30.8
Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences93 / 62.4%67 / 92.5%+30.1
University of North Texas Health Science Center UNT System College of Pharmacy84 / 50.0%74 / 79.7%+29.7
West Coast University School of Pharmacy57 / 50.9%38 / 78.9%+28.0
Cedarville University School of Pharmacy42 / 59.5%33 / 84.8%+25.3
Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy98 / 63.3%83 / 88.0%+24.7
University of Texas at El Paso School of Pharmacy42 / 59.5%49 / 83.7%+24.2
Western New England University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences31 / 61.3%33 / 84.8%+23.5
University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy89 / 66.3%87 / 89.7%+23.4
Touro University Touro College of Pharmacy41 / 70.7%44 / 93.2%+22.5

Source: Castleport calculation from NABP’s March 16, 2026 school rows. Each year had at least 30 first attempts.

Every decline under the same screen

Every decline under the same screen
School2024 attempts / rate2025 attempts / rateChange
Oregon State University College of Pharmacy57 / 96.5%58 / 79.3%−17.2
Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences73 / 87.7%71 / 80.3%−7.4
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy57 / 98.2%45 / 91.1%−7.1
University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis St. Louis College of Pharmacy112 / 78.6%75 / 72.0%−6.6
Touro University - California College of Pharmacy66 / 80.3%44 / 75.0%−5.3
South College School of Pharmacy50 / 86.0%43 / 81.4%−4.6
South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions58 / 98.3%51 / 94.1%−4.2
Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy52 / 80.8%36 / 77.8%−3.0
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy91 / 95.6%118 / 94.1%−1.5
Pacific University School of Pharmacy74 / 67.6%39 / 66.7%−0.9
University of Southern California Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences155 / 87.1%155 / 86.5%−0.6

Source: Castleport calculation from NABP’s March 16, 2026 school rows. Each year had at least 30 first attempts.

In a year when the national rate rose 10.9 points, 11 of the 121 schools in this screen declined. Six of those 11 started above 86.0% in 2024.


How different can NAPLEX rates be within one school?

NABP’s separate branch, campus, and pathway report covers 28 schools. D’Youville’s 2025 branch-report total was 70.0%, while its campus pathway was 82.5% and its online pathway was 45.0%—a 37.5-point gap inside one school.

The branch report groups exams by the location or pathway the school reported. A location is a campus or branch reported by the school. A pathway is a route through the degree, such as an accelerated or online route.

Within that branch report, the site counts add to the report’s own “All” row for each of the 28 schools we checked.

Largest 2025 gaps in the branch report

Largest 2025 gaps in the branch report
SchoolBranch-report overall rateHighest reported site or pathwayLowest reported site or pathwayGap
D’Youville University School of Pharmacy70.0%Campus 82.5% (n=40)Online 45.0% (n=20)37.5
Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions89.5%Distance 95.5% (n=44)Phoenix 60.0% (n=10)35.5
University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy89.6%Austin 96.7% (n=60)San Antonio 77.8% (n=36)18.9
Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy78.3%SJ 89.7% (n=39)HD 71.6% (n=67)18.1
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy89.7%Columbia 100.0% (n=23)Springfield 83.3% (n=24)16.7
University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy92.7%Knoxville 100.0% (n=19)Nashville 84.0% (n=25)16.0
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences77.2%On-campus 79.4% (n=68)Remote 63.6% (n=11)15.8
University of Georgia College of Pharmacy91.0%Albany 100.0% (n=7)Savannah 84.2% (n=19)15.8
Duquesne University School of Pharmacy91.7%Traditional 93.6% (n=94)Online 78.6% (n=14)15.0
Nova Southeastern University Barry and Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy80.8%San Juan 90.0% (n=60)Main – Ft. Lauderdale 76.9% (n=121)13.1

Source: NABP, “Branch, Campus, and Pathway Reports for 2025 Graduates,” prepared May 21, 2026. Gap column calculated by Castleport Research.

Across all 28 schools, the median difference between the highest and lowest reported site or pathway was 6.1 points. Nine schools had a gap of at least 15 points. When every compared site had at least 20 exams, 17 schools remained and the median gap was 4.6 points.

Four schools use the exact label online or remote for a separately reported route: D’Youville, Colorado, Duquesne, and St. John Fisher. The online or remote rate was lower in all four. Four schools are too few for a broad conclusion, and several routes were small.

ACPE’s June 2025 Board update reported four letters for campus pass-rate discrepancies in the prior review cycle. That was separate from letters based on the overall school benchmark or failure count.

Source: ACPE’s June 2025 Board update.

Two branch-report totals differ from the main school report

For 26 of the 28 schools, the branch report’s 2025 “All” count and rate match the main school report. Two differ by one candidate:

  • Texas A&M: 109 exams at 86.2% in the branch report; 110 first attempts at 85.5% in the main report.
  • Roseman: 106 exams at 78.3% in the branch report; 107 first attempts at 77.6% in the main report.

NABP says the branch report groups examinees by the school’s reported location. It does not explain these two one-candidate differences in the report. We use the main school report for the full table and label branch-report figures as branch-report figures.

Source: NABP’s branch report and main school report.


Why does class size change what a NAPLEX pass rate means?

A pass rate is a fraction. The smaller the class, the more one result moves it. Seventeen of the 141 schools had fewer than 30 first attempts in 2025. In the six smallest programs, one result moved the rate by about 9.7 points on average.

Why does class size change what a NAPLEX pass rate means?
Class size in 2025SchoolsAverage change caused by one result
Under 206about 9.7 points
20 to 3932about 3.2 points
40 to 7954about 1.8 points
80 or more49about 0.9 points

Source: Castleport calculation from NABP’s published first-attempt counts. The last column is the mean of 100 divided by each school’s cohort size within the band.

At a school with 8 first attempts, one result is worth 12.5 percentage points. At a school with 191, one result is worth about 0.5 point.

How the 2025 school rates are distributed

How the 2025 school rates are distributed
2025 first-time rateSchools
100%4
95.0%–99.9%12
90.0%–94.9%41
80.0%–89.9%54
70.0%–79.9%21
Below 70.0%9

Source: Castleport count of the 141 nonblank 2025 school rates in NABP’s March 16, 2026 report.

Distribution of 2025 first-time NAPLEX pass rates across 141 schools
Distribution of 2025 first-time NAPLEX pass rates across 141 schools

Chart source: NABP’s 141 current school rates. Visualization by Castleport Research, last verified August 5, 2026.

The median school rate was 88.2%. Exactly 35 schools were at 92.9% or higher, and 35 were at 81.1% or lower. Those are count-based cut points from this dataset, not an official grading scale.


Can you compare a school’s 2025 NAPLEX rate with 2024?

You can compare the reported rates, but a change does not prove that a school got better or worse. The exam-content outline changed during 2025, the annual benchmark changed, and cohort sizes fell unevenly.

Three limits matter:

  1. The content outline changed during the year. The new outline took effect May 1, 2025, but the school report does not show how many candidates tested before or after that date.
  2. The comparison benchmark changed. The published two-SD figure moved from 46.8% to 62.7%.
  3. The cohorts shrank. First attempts fell 11.4% in one year and 19.8% in two years. Smaller groups make each result move the rate more.

Comparing schools within 2025 avoids comparing a 2024 cohort with a 2025 cohort, but schools can still have different mixes of exams taken before and after May 1. Cohort size, admissions, student mix, and exam timing also remain different.

If you need one school number, use its first-time rate beside its first-attempt count. Never quote the percentage alone.

First-time candidate counts fell from 2023 to 2025

First-time candidate counts fell from 2023 to 2025
Graduation yearFirst attempts
202312,305
202411,136
20259,869

Source: NABP’s March 16, 2026 school report.

That is 2,436 fewer first attempts in two years, a fall of 19.8%. Among the 125 schools with at least 40 first attempts in 2023 and a current 2025 count, 110 had fewer in 2025. The median change in that group was −18.6%.

Source: Castleport calculation from NABP’s school-level attempt counts.


How did Castleport produce this NAPLEX dataset?

We assembled all 144 named school rows from NABP’s current report, compared them row by row with a separately produced extraction, checked the totals against NABP’s national figures, and reconciled the 2025 difference against the archived January report.

The method is fully reproducible:

1. Primary files. We used the current March 16 school report as the main source, the archived January 22 school report for the version check, the February 2 ten-year report for national trends, the May 21 branch report for site and pathway splits, and ACPE’s own policy documents for accreditation rules.

2. Row extraction. We recorded first attempts, first-time rates, all attempts, and all-attempt rates for every named school row in 2023, 2024, and 2025. A dash stayed missing; it was never turned into zero.

3. Separate comparison. One complete row-by-row extraction was compared with a separately produced extraction. School names were normalized only enough to join the files. The numeric fields matched.

4. Aggregate reconciliation. The 2023 and 2024 detail rows matched NABP’s attempt totals. The 2025 detail rows were short by one first attempt and two all attempts. The archived Harding row supplied exactly those counts and reproduced the current summary.

5. Reconstructed whole-number passes. NABP rounds rates to one decimal place. For every nonblank first-time school-year cell, we tested every whole number from zero through the attempt count. All 426 cells had exactly one integer pass count that reproduced the printed rate after one-decimal rounding. Failures equal attempts minus passes. These fields are Castleport calculations, not NABP fields.

6. Standard deviation check. The version audit uses the sample standard deviation because that is the calculation that reproduces NABP’s printed 11.5 and 62.7 after the archived Harding row is included.

7. Derived measures. Year-over-year change is a difference in percentage points. Benchmark cushion is the school’s printed rate minus that year’s published two-SD figure. Three-year weighted rates use reconstructed passes divided by first attempts. The 30-attempt and 50-attempt screens are Castleport comparison rules, not official standards.

8. What we did not verify. We did not audit NABP’s candidate-level records, test forms, school admissions, or ACPE’s private correspondence. We did not fill missing official values. We verified the public reports and the arithmetic built from them.

Downloadable files

The underlying NABP and ACPE facts remain credited to their source documents. Castleport’s added fields are the reconstructed counts, comparisons, screens, version reconciliation, and visualizations described here.


What does this NAPLEX data not show?

These rates show how a graduating group performed within NABP’s reporting rules. They do not isolate teaching quality, explain why a rate changed, or reveal ACPE’s private program-level decisions. NABP also says the values may change as more graduates complete exams.

  • It does not measure a school by itself. A pass rate cannot separate teaching, admissions, student mix, exam timing, cohort size, and chance.
  • It does not prove why 2025 rose. The MPJE comparison and May 1 outline change give context, not a cause.
  • It excludes out-of-window testing. NABP excludes people who tested before or after the reported year, even when their graduation year is listed.
  • It may change after publication. NABP says values are subject to change as graduates complete more exams.
  • Small groups move fast. A few results can shift a small school’s rate by many points.
  • It does not reveal ACPE letters. Public rounded data cannot reproduce the official 2024 high-failure letter count.
  • The MPJE groups are not matched. Not every NAPLEX candidate takes that exam.
  • Reconstructed counts are Castleport fields. They are reproducible from the printed data but are not raw counts released by NABP.
  • The comparison screens are editorial. The 30- and 50-attempt cutoffs are not official standards.
  • Rates are rounded. Very small differences can sit inside one-decimal rounding.

For a current accreditation status, use ACPE’s Program Lookup. For licensure rules, use the board of pharmacy for the jurisdiction where the candidate plans to apply.


Common questions about NAPLEX pass rates

These answers use the official NABP and ACPE sources listed below and the reproducible Castleport calculations explained above. Last verified August 5, 2026.

What was the first-time NAPLEX pass rate in 2025?

It was 86.8% across 9,869 first attempts by 2025 graduates of ACPE-accredited institutions who also tested in 2025. The all-attempt rate was 85.6% across 10,632 attempts.

Why does NABP also show 85.7% for 2025?

The 86.8% figure weights every first attempt equally. The 85.7% figure is the mean of 142 school rates, so each school has equal weight even when class sizes differ. Both figures appear in NABP’s March 16, 2026 report.

Which pharmacy school had the highest 2025 NAPLEX pass rate?

Four schools reported 100.0%: the University of Michigan, the University of Puerto Rico, Husson University, and Lebanese American University. Their cohorts ranged from 8 to 68 first attempts. Michigan was the only 100% school with at least 50 first attempts.

What is a good NAPLEX pass rate?

There is no official “good” cutoff. In 2025, the candidate-wide first-time rate was 86.8% and the median school rate was 88.2%. Thirty-five schools were at 92.9% or higher, and 35 were at 81.1% or lower. ACPE’s 62.7% benchmark is an accreditation monitoring line, not a definition of school quality.

What score passes the NAPLEX?

NABP says a scaled score of 75 or higher represents a passing result. Candidates now receive Pass or Fail rather than a reported scaled score, and a scaled score of 75 does not mean 75% of questions were correct.

Why did NAPLEX pass rates jump in 2025?

No proven cause has been published. The NAPLEX first-time rate rose 10.9 points while the MPJE first-time rate fell 0.8 point, but those are not matched candidate groups. A new NAPLEX Content Outline took effect May 1, 2025, yet NABP’s school report does not show how many 2025 graduates tested before or after that date.

What happens if a pharmacy school’s NAPLEX pass rate is too low?

ACPE Policy 11.6.1 starts with a letter and required action plan after a first occurrence. Repeat occurrences within seven years can lead to a focused evaluation, a Board appearance, probation, and after a fifth occurrence, possible withdrawal of accreditation.

Does a high NAPLEX pass rate prove a school is better?

No. It is one outcome for one graduating group in one year. The rate cannot separate teaching, admissions, student mix, exam timing, cohort size, and chance. Read the percentage beside the attempt count and use it as one measure, not a full school rating.

Why is Harding University blank in the current 2025 table?

NABP’s March 16, 2026 report says Harding students graduate only in December and will be counted in the next report. An archived January 22 version listed Harding with 1 first attempt and 2 all attempts, both at 0.0%. The current detail table removed those values, while the current summary still matches the earlier 142-school version.

How many people took the NAPLEX in 2025?

NABP reports 9,869 first attempts by 2025 graduates of ACPE-accredited institutions who tested in 2025. That was down from 11,136 in 2024 and 12,305 in 2023.

Does NABP report separate rates for branch campuses and online pathways?

Yes. NABP’s separate branch, campus, and pathway report covers 28 schools. D’Youville’s 2025 branch-report total was 70.0%, while its campus pathway was 82.5% and its online pathway was 45.0%.

Where can I find a school’s official NAPLEX rate?

NABP publishes the school report on its Data & Research page. ACPE also requires accredited programs to post the latest first-time NAPLEX results from NABP on their own websites.


Sources

Every consequential factual claim on this page traces to a primary source.

  1. NABP, *North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination Passing Rates for 2023–2025 Graduates*, prepared March 16, 2026
  2. NABP, the archived January 22, 2026 version of the same school report
  3. NABP, *NAPLEX and MPJE Passing Rates for 2015–2025 ACPE-Accredited US Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy Graduates*, prepared February 2, 2026
  4. NABP, *Branch, Campus, and Pathway Reports for 2025 Graduates*, prepared May 21, 2026
  5. NABP Data & Research
  6. ACPE, Policy 11.6.1 update and 60% floor, effective July 1, 2025
  7. ACPE Update, Spring 2026, including the school-posting requirement
  8. ACPE official update on its January and June 2025 Board meetings
  9. NABP NAPLEX Content Outline, effective May 1, 2025
  10. NABP NAPLEX overview
  11. NABP Candidate Application Bulletin: eligibility and licensure roles
  12. NABP Candidate Application Bulletin: exam results and passing standard
  13. NABP explanation of the scaled passing score

How to cite this page

Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. “NAPLEX Pass Rates by Pharmacy School (2023–2025).” Castleport Research. Last updated August 5, 2026. https://castleporttestprep.com/research/naplex-pass-rates-by-pharmacy-school/

The underlying pass rates are NABP’s and should be credited to NABP. The reconstructed pass and fail counts, benchmark-cushion calculations, version reconciliation, NAPLEX–MPJE comparison, branch-gap analysis, comparison screens, and visualizations are Castleport Research work.


Dataset

naplex-pass-rates-by-school-2023-2025.csv contains 144 named school records across 2023–2025, including 141 schools with a current 2025 first-time rate. It includes attempt counts, printed rates, reconstructed first-time pass counts, year-over-year changes, and benchmark-margin fields.

Version history

Version history
VersionDateChange
1.0August 5, 2026First publication. Built from NABP’s March 16 report and reconciled against the January 22 archived version.

Source: Castleport Research dataset log.